The post-World War II era is often associated with increased consumerism, making this repurposed vest an interesting anomaly. It was cut and tailored from an eighteenth-century man’s waistcoat to suit a woman’s figure. The waistcoat’s fine silk and embroidery would have surpassed the quality of most modern clothing, perhaps explaining the appeal of its reuse.

Object Number: 89.54.2

Museum at the Fashion Institute of Technology
Seventh Avenue at 27 Street
New York City 10001-5992